Educational puzzle.



No. 713,638. Patpnted Nov. l8. I902,

W-.HEPFINGER.

EDUCATIONAL PUZZLE.

(Application fllgd May 7, 1902.)

(No ldodel.) 2 Sheet-Sheet I.

a Q EBSBTHE aib L l Pd ummu JE I Patented Nov. I8. I902. W. HEPFINGER.

EDUCATIONAL PUZZLE (Application filed May 7, 1902.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. I

(No Model.)

lg elgfor,

WiZZz'am/z y m: Nbams PETERS ca. PHOTO-LUNG wuwmm'nm n. c.

Uwiatnn Starts PATENT FFICE.

W'ILLIAM I-IEPFINGER, OF MONTESANO, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALFTO THOMAS CONNER, OF MONTESANO, WASHINGTON.

EDUCATIONAL PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,638, dated November18, 1902.

Application filed May 7,1902.

T aZZ whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM HEPFINGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Montesano, in the county of Chehalis and State ofWashington, have invented a new and useful Educational Puzzle, of whichthe followingis a specification.

This invention has for its object the production of a new and improvededucational 1o puzzle or toy through the use of which the minds ofchildren may be improved and instructed.

The invention consists in certain peculiarlyshaped blocks by the variouscombinations r 5 of which various characters may be formed.

The invention further consists in a plate or card havingpeculiarly-outlined recesses or other means to assist in formingthedesired characters.

The invention further consists in a receptacle for the blocks connectedto the plate or card and foldable therewith, whereby a closure is formedfor the receptacle.

The invention further consists in a diagram 2 5 or chart of thecharacters possible to be formed by the blocks, and attached to orforming part of the plate, all as hereinafter shown and described, andspecifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 represents thedevice with the blocks removed from the envelop and a portion of themarranged on the guiding-card and the remainder grouped about the envelopportion. Fig. 2 represents a similar View illustrating somemodifications in the construction.

In this invenion are comprised four members orportions, a series ofpeculiarly-shaped 0 blocks represented at 5, a plate or card representedat 6 and having recesses or cavities '7, adapted to receive the blocksor other means adapted to assist in forming the characters,

a pocket or receptacle for the blocks when 5 not in use and representedat 8 with one side open, as at 9, and attached to one edge of the plate6,as shown, and a diagram or chart of the characters possible to beformed by the combination of the blocks and represented at 10.

The plate or card 6 may be of any material or size, but will generallybe of cardboard,

Serial No. 106,366. (No model.)

with recesses 7 embossed or sunken into the upper surface by pressure orby other means. The recesses may be of any form required to cause themto conform to the configuration of the blocks; but the form shown willbe preferable and will enable the blocks to form all the charactersdenoted upon the chart upon the inner side of the receptacle. Theserecesses conform somewhat to the figure 8, with the upper and lowerparts flattened, as shown. The blocks are formed of a series of squares,oblon gs, curved and pointed orspearhead-shaped characters, as shown,and may be of any desired material, but will generally be of heavycardboard.

The receptacle portion of the device is formed envelop or bag shaped, asshown, with one side 11 open and attached by one flap of the open sideto one edge of the plate or card 6, as shown, so that when the blocks 5are inserted in the receptacle and the latter folded over upon the plate6 the opening to the receptacle will be closed and the escape of theblocks prevented. Thus the device may be readily transported withoutdanger of losing any of the blocks.

By slight modifications in the outline of the blocks and the recesses agreat variety of characters may be formed and the device thus adapted toa wide range of uses, and I do not, therefore, desire to be limited toany specific form or arrangement of characters or the recesses in thecard or table.

In Fig. 2 a slight modification in the arrangement of the chart 10 uponthe back 8 of the envelop is shown, consisting in a some what morevaried arrangement of the char acters which it is possible to form withthe blocks 5. In this modification also the adjacent ends of some of theblocks are provided with interengaging serrations, as at 5, tocomplicate the labor of forming the characters, and thus add to thedifficulty of arranging' them and correspondingly increase the 5interest in the operation of the device.

While it is preferable that the means for assistingin forming thecharacters shall be in the form of shallow recesses, as shown, anymodification which would accomplish the same result would clearly comewithin the scope of and be covered by the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is.

1. In an educational puzzle, a series of blocks of diversified shapesand capable of being combined to form characters, in combina tion with aplate having outlined thereon characters adapted to be formed byproperly combiningsaid blocks, substantially as described.

2. In an educational puzzle, a series of blocks of diversified shapesand capable of being combined to form characters, in combination with aplate having outlined thereon characters adapted to be formed byproperlycombining said blocks, and a chart of the characters capable ofbeing formed by said blocks, substantially as described.

3. In an educational puzzle, a series of blocks ofdiversified shapes andcapable of being combined to form characters, a plate having outlinedthereon means for assisting in forming said combinations of characters,and a receptacle for said blocks attached to said plate, substantiallyas described.

4. In an educational puzzle, a series of blocks of diversified shapesand capable of being combined to form characters, in combination with aplate recessed to correspond With the outline of characters capable ofbeing formed by combinations of said blocks, substantially as described.

5. In an educational puzzle, a series of blocks of diversified shapesand capable of being combined to form characters, a plate havingoutlined thereon means for assisting in forming said combinations ofcharacters, a receptacle for said blocks attached to said plate, and achart of the characters possible to be formed by said blocks disposedupon said receptacle, substantially as described.

6. In an educational puzzle, a series of blocks of diversified shapesand capable of being combined to form characters, a plate havingoutlined thereon means for assisting in forming said combinations andcharacters, a receptacle for said blocks open at one side and securedalong said open side to said plate, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM HEPFINGER.

Witnesses:

L. H. BREWER, E. M. DOYLE.

